Jesse a



(No Model.)

` J. A. GRANDALL.

TOY.

No. 601,499. Patented Ma.1.29, 1898.

' www UNITED STATES JESSE A. ORANDALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WALTER PARKER, OF SAME PLACE.

. TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,499, dated March 29, 1898.

Application tiled July 15, 1897. Serial No. 644,648. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

`Be it known that I, JEssE A. CRANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and4 useful Improvements in Toy Merry-Go-Rounds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus; Fig. 4, a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 a detail plan view of one of the curved toy animals.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap knockdown toy of the merry-go-round order that will in its movements illustrate or simulate a small circus, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings by letters, o; designates a circular base, from the center of which rises a stationary post b, in the upper slotted end of which is removably set a small piece of sheet metal c, cut out to represent,

preferably, a man on horseback. Mounted rotatively upon the post is a sleeve d, provided at its upper end, near the upper end of the post, with a circular platform d and at its lower end, near the base, with a horizontal friction-wheel d2, the whole being supported a short distance above the base by means of a shoulder d3 on the post. Mounted rotatively on the sleeve d is another sleeve c, which'carries at or near its upper end a circular platform fand at its lower end a friction-wheel g, similar to the wheel d2. The friction-wheel g is supported upon the vertical friction-wheel h, which in turn rests upon,

the lower disk d2, this driving-disk h being carried at the inner end of a horizontal shaft i, provided at its outer end with an operating-crank. The shaft i is journaled in bearings in a pair of standards j, the innermost bearing being vertically elongated, as at k,

Fig. l, to permit of a limited vertical play of the shaft, so that the proper frictional contact may be always maintained between the friction-disks irrespective of Wear or slight distortion of the standards or wheels. l

The upper platform d is preferably made smaller than the lower one, and both platforms carry a series of thin metallic plates Z, cut out and ornamented to represent, preferably, horses. These animals are secured to the platforms near their edges and are curved to correspond therewith. They are secured to the platform preferably by means of a circular groove m, into which they removably fit, the plates being preferably somewhat elastic and normally curved on a slightly shorter radius, so that they may be sprung into the slots and may be readily removed and inserted and adjusted'without other fastening devices. A suitable number of flags or streamers may be attached to the rotatable platforms and to the uppermost animal, if desired. It is also desirable to attach to the base below the platform f a number of simple automatons, representing men and animals, as indicated at fn and o, these figures being operated by means of a suitable crank connection p to the disk h.

In order to provide for packing the apparatus in a small box, the animals are made removable from their supports, the post is made removable from the base,and the sleeves and platforms are also made removable and separable, so that the whole may be 4packed away in a small compass.

The operation of the toy is obvious. The rotation of the crank-shaft causes the sleeves and platforms carrying the animals to rotate in opposite directions, the animal on the upper end of the post remaining stationary. It will thus be seen that the apparatus will sufficiently simulate the pyramid act of trained horses in the circus to excite childish amusement, and the automatons mounted on the base will further promote childish delight.

An essential feature lies in the driving mechanism, whereby it is reduced to a very simple form, the lower platform and disk being supported entirely on the intermediate driving-disk, and this driving-disk (by reason of the enlarged bearing k) being in turn supported upon the lower disk.

` It will be observed that the manner of holding the animals in the grooves is especially advantageous in this apparatus, since it not only permits the animals to be freely adjusted in the grooves, but also prevents them IOOv from being thrown out by centrifugal force during the rapid rotation of the disks.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a toy, the combination of abase, carrying a standard, a rotative sleeve on the standard, carrying at its upper end a platform and at its lower end a friction-disk, another sleeve mounted rotatively and vertically movable on the aforesaid sleeve and carrying a platform at its upper end and a horizontal disk at its lower end, a friction driving-disk supporting the upper disk and in turn supported directly on the lower disk, a vertically-movable operating-shaft for this disk journaled on the base, and a series of Toy animals carried on said platforms, substantially as described.

2. In a toy, the combination of a base carrying a non-rotative removable standard, a sleeve journaled removably thereon and carrying at its upper end a horizontal detachable platform, and at its lower end a drive-wheel,

and another sleeve journaled removably and vertically movable upon the aforesaid sleeve and carrying a platform below the upper detachable platform and a drive-disk, at its' lower end a drive-wheel engaging said disks and adapted to turn them in opposite directions, and a series of removable toy animals carried by the platform.

3. In a toy, a rotative platform, provided with a groove in its surface, and a series of spring sheet-metal toy animals, these animals being curved longitudinally and sprung into said groove, the normal curvature of the animals being on a shorter radius than that of the4 groove, so that when the animals are sprung into the groove the spring action will hold them therein during the rapid rotation of the disk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE A. ORANDALL.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CUNNINGHAM, NOAH TEBBETTs. 

